How Do You Like Them Apples?

Pumpkins may steal the spotlight during these fall months, but you have to admit that apples are stars in their own right. So crisp! So juicy! I haven't made it apple-picking yet this year, but I certainly plan to before the season ends in a few short weeks. In the meantime, I've been enjoying trips to DC's beautiful Eastern Market, which is overflowing with apples just begging to be turned into Apple Crisp.

This sweet and crunchy dessert is basically the lazy woman's apple pie. I love me some pie, but that shit is a process. Rolling and chilling the dough, prepping the pie filling, and making sure your girlfriend doesn't eat all the crumble off the top...it all takes significant time and energy! Sometimes you just need an apple dessert in front of you right at this very second, and that's when this crisp comes in. If you have 30 minutes and the ability to slice apples, you can flawlessly execute this recipe. Try it for yourself and see!

Apple Crisp
From the genius mind of my wonderful mother

Makes one 8x8 pan

4 cups peeled and sliced apples (slightly sour Granny Smiths are the best)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Earth Balance, melted

Preheat your oven to 375 F, grease an 8x8 metal or glass pan, and dump your slices applies right in there. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon until it looks like the dust at the bottom of a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Now sprinkle all that fragrant goodness evenly all over your apples.

Naked!

In a separate bowl, stir together the brown sugar and flour until it's more of less incorporated, then pour in the melted Earth Balance. This will be your topping! Get in there with your little paws and mix it up until it all starts to stick together.

Hey sweetie. 

Scoop up handfuls of the topping and squeeze it through your fingers over the baking pan, so that it creates fat crumbles that fall on top of your sweet, cinnamony apples. By the time you're done, you'll barely be able to see any hint of fruit - don't worry, I promise it won't be as sweet as you think.

I swear there are apples in there. 

Pop the pan in the oven for 25-28 minutes, until the topping is a dark golden brown and the juices from the apples are starting to bubble. Wait for 5-10 minutes before chowing down so that the crisp has a chance to set a little bit, but definitely serve warm. Enjoy!